Container



Nov. 7, 1939; Gr A, MQORE 2.179.231

CONTAINER Y Filed Aug. 23, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 7, 4193.9. G, A. MOR, 2.179.231

CONTAINER Filed Aug. 2s, 1935 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR @E0/PGE ARL/NGToNmo/@E ATTORN EY Patented Nov. 7, 1939 PATENT GFFICE CONTAINER George Arlington Moore, Louisville. Ky., assigner to Humoco Corporation, Louisville, Ky., a corporation of Delaware Application August z3, 1935, serial No. 31,439'

7 Claims.

'10 formed of various substances, such as paper,

liber, or the like. v

Another object is to provide a molded closure member in combination with a sealed container whereby the closure member may be opened to.

im give access to a frangible seal, and may be readily closed, `after the hatch in the 'seal has been opened or removed, to prevent loss of the con- `tents of the container.

A further object is to provide, in combination with a container, a novel cover adapted to be readily moved from closed position to open position, one which will remain in the open position to which it' is moved but which may be readily returned to and yieldingly held in closed position.

Other objects include the provision of a novel cover which is inexpensive to manufacture, pleasing in appearance, readily combined with 1- the container or removed therefrom, one which may be molded, and one winch is adapted for 3@ use with containers of various sizes, and especially those containers having two parallel side walls, such as an oblong container or a rectangular container.

The above and other objects and advantages will appear more fully hereafter in the detailed description of theinvention, which description is to be read in connectionjwith the accompanying drawings illustrating three embodiments of the invention. It is to 4be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for purposes of illustration only and are not designed as a` dennition of the limits of the invention, reference being primarily had for this purpose to the appended claims. In the drawings, wherein like ,15 reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing a container provided with a cover embodyingthe present invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view oi the right-hand end, as viewed in Fig. 1, of the `container with the,

novel cover in closed position;

Fig. 3 isa detail side view of a container fitted with a second embodiment of the invention;

55 Fig. 4 is a detail end view oi they left-hand end, as viewed in Fig. 1, of the container and closure illustrated in the last mentioned ligure;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view, with parts broken away, illustrating the cover of the invention in closed position on a paper or iiber con- 5 tainer having a removable hatch;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 with the cover and hatch in open position;

Fig. 'l is a perspective view, with parts broken away, illustrating the novel closure of the pres- 10 ent invention in partially open position ona container, prior to the opening of the hatch oi the container;

Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view of the cover shown in Fic. 71; lo Fig. 9 is a section taken on the line 9--5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 10 is a transverse sectional view ci the container, hatch and closure shown in Fig; .'l;

and

Fig. 11 is an enlarged detail section, with parts broken'away, illustrating a third nembodiment of the cover of the present invention. Y It has heretofore been proposed by me to provide an oblong paper container having trans- 25 versely extending and inwardly projecting ribs in the two parallel walls of the body thereoi, the opposite ends of said ribs extending for a short distance into the arcuate end walls-oi the container, as shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 7. 'I'he 30 novel cover of the present invention is particularly adapted for use in combination with a container oithis type, since, in the illustrated em-l bodiment, the same comprises a headpor horizontal portion i2 (Figs.v 7, 3 and 9) which is 35 preferably surrounded, on its upper face, by a bead or strengthening rib i3 and a peripheral flange portion il. In the form shown, the head is oblong and is curved at its opposite ends, the

side edges of the saine being substantially rec- 40 tilinear and parallel. 'I'he nange does not extend throughout the periphery ofthe cover, but preferably terminates along the two sides at points on a line drawn through the center of the radius of curvature of the adjacent end of the head and at right angles to the longitudinal laxis of said cover. i

Formed integrally with the lower edges of the two parallel walls of the flange are beads l5 which are substantially roundv in cross section and which areadapted to extend into grooves I6 provided in the side walls of container il' adjacent the upper end oi the latter. As shown in Fig. 10, grooves I6 preferably have a portion lio extending inwardly at an angle of approximately 45, a vertical portion |6b and a horizontal portion I6c forming an inwardly extending shoulder' for a purpose to be described hereafter. These ribs may be formed in the body walls by means of dies. It will be noted that the center of the bead I5 is displaced inwardly relative to the flange I4 so that said bead has frictional engagement with the inclined wall Ilia, and that a portion of the bead on the inner surface thereof where it merges with the flange I4, has close engagement with the outer surface of the outer portion of the shoulder I 6c. The

upper, inner surface of the flange where it joins the head I2 is curved to closely engage the upper curved surface of the edge I9 of the container.

The distancefbetween the edge I9 and the bottom of shoulder |6c of the container is preferably slightly greater than the distance between the inner curved surface of the cover below bead I3 and that portion of bead I5 which engages shoulder |6c. This insures that the cover will be frictionally/held in any open position to which it is adjusted, as that shown in Fig. 7. The difference in the dimensions of the rparts mentioned is, of'

course, slight, and if the materials of which the cover and container are formed are not unusually smooth, Vit may be unnecessary to provide any diierence 1n the dimensions to obtain the neces,- sary frictional engagement. n

Preferably, head I2 is provided on its upper surface with a friction member 20 (Fig. 7) .constituting a thumb grip which may be formed by embossing a suitable design on said head, whereby the user can readily slide the cover along the container to open or closed position. In the embodiment illustrated, no stop is provided to limit the movement of the cover to the right, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 7. When moved to the left, however, the curved end 2| of the flange engages the adjacent end of the container to limit the movement of said cover so that the upper end ofthe container is closed without any portion of the left hand end of the cover overhanging the side wall of said container. As illustrated more clearly in Figs. 8 and 9,'the beads I5 on the lower edges of the flanges do not extend around the arcuate portion 2| of the flange, but merge into said arcuate portion so that the beads throughout are rectilinear. 'I'his'facilitates molding of the cover.

If desired, the arcuate portion 2| of flange `I4 may be eliminated, so that the cover comprises a head 22 and flanges 23 (Fig. 3), each flange being of less length than the head 22 and being centrally disposed relative to the container when the cover is closed. y

'I'he beads on the lower edge of the flange may correspond in 'cross section to the outer surface of the inwardly extending rib |6a, |6b, |6c. In Fig. 11 there is illustrated a bead 24 of this character which may be used where it is desired to increase frictional engagement between the side wall of the groove and the cover.

Preferably, the novel cover of the present invention embodies means for yieldingly retaining the cover in closed position. In the form shown, an overhanging lip 25 is formed on the lower face I'I of the side wall of the container. Preferably, said side wall is formed of a substance, such as paper, liber or other suitable m'oldable material, and the cover itself may be molded from a suitable plastic, such as Bakelite, a pigmented acetate, or may be fabricated of fiber.. Thus, when the user moves the cover to the right, as viewed in Fig. 5, by applying pressure on the friction surface 20.

position.

there is. aL suii'i'cient yielding oi' head I2, lip 25 and the upper edge I9 of the side wall so that the lip 25 moves over the edge I9 to the position illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. Preferably, the lip 25 has an arcuate length of approximately onethird of the length of the curved end of the cover (Fig. 8).

The novel cover disclosed herein is adapted for use with a hermetically sealed container having a removable hatch. As shown more clearly in Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 10, a closure member 26 is provided for the upper end of container I1. This closure member, which rests on the shoulder I 6c formed by the ribs I6, comprises a anged portion 21 which is positioned between the side wall of the container and an inowed portion I 'la of said side Wall to provide a closure formation, the flange 2'I being preferably yjoined to the central portion of the closure by means of an arcuate portion 28. Inl

- metallic foil 30. A furrow 3| is plowed in the inner lamina in such a manner as not to destroy the tinfoil 30, said furrow having an oblong outline corresponding to the shape of the container and extending around the periphery of closure 26 closely adjacent the inner end of the arcuate portion 28.

When it is desired to remove the contents of the container, the cover is moved to a position such as that shown in Fig. 6, whereupon pressure is applied with the linger to one end of the hatch constituted by the laminated member 29, 30 to shear the foil in the plane of furrow 3| and force the hatch inwardly to the dot and dash line position illustrated. If desired, a pressure locating'button 32 (Fig. 7) may be provided in the hatch to facilitate the opening of the same. As the hatch is forced inwardly, the same bends along the outwardly pressed rib 33, and if the finger of the user is then drawn toward his thumb, the inwardly extending portion of the hatch is raised to bend along said rib 33,and an adjacent similar rib 34. The contents of the container may now be discharged, whereupon the hatch may be pressed downwardly to substantially closed position and the cover slid back into closed position with lip 25 overhanging edge I9 of the container. If desired, the user may remove the hatch entirely from the container, the two sections 26a and 26b of said hatch acting as a tab to facilitate the breaking of the seal in the plane of the furrow throughout the entire periphery of the hatch.

In certain types of containers it may be desirable to increase the frictional engagement between the cover and the container and to provide means for accurately centering the cover in closed For this purpose, the container and cover may have cooperating projecting portions and recesses to center the cover in closed position and provide for additional friction between the cove'r and container wall when the cover is being moved. As shown in Figs. 3 and 10, the container is rovided with recesses ada ted to receive roof head I2 to coact with the curved upper edge j p p p jections or buttons 35 formed on the inner face of each flange I4 of the cover. When the cover is .'cesses and the user is informed without looking.

due to the change in resistance to movement oi the cover at this time, that said cover'is returned to closed position. The use of the recesses and projections referred to may, at certain instances, eliminate the necessity for use of lips 25.

Preferably, the novel cover of the present invention is molded from Bakelite or other suitable acetate. 'I'hese plastic materials readily lend themselves to coloring and molding andmay be very inexpensively produced in large quantities. It will be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to any particular material, since the cover may be molded from iibrous material such as paper or pulp, if desired, or may be fabricated from fiber. 'I'he container may also be formed from a wide vvariety of substances, such as paper or liber or other plastics, although a certain amount of yield is desirable in the container as well as in the cover in order that the latter may be yieldingly maintained in closed position. When the cover isused with a container having an impervious removable hatch of the character described, the hatch is protected by the cover against accidental fracture and after the hatch is removed, the cover effectively prevents the discharge of the contents. The cover is particularly adapted to permit free discharge of the contents of the container. The invention is not hunted to an oblong shape, since those skilled in the art will see that the same is applicable to containers 'and covers of rectangular shape. Various designs may be employed for the thumb grip, as, for example, the trade-mark of the user may be embossed in the head. The ribs in the side wall of the container may projectoutwardly, rather than inwardly, as in the illustrated preferred form. The embodiment shown in Fig. 3 may have a lip at each end thereof or, if desired, one or both lips may be eliminated and projections 35 with cooperating jrecesses may be relied on entirely to insure that the cover will be retained in fully closed position. Reference will accordingly be had to the appended claims for a denition of the limits of the invention. 4

' What is claimed is?l 1. A cover for a container comprising a head head portion and extending through a major portion of the periphery of the head, said ange Y having two' substantially parallel side wall portions, and inwardlyextending beads carried by said :side wall .portions grooves in the walls of the container.

adapted to enact withv 2. The combination, with a container having two'substantiaily parallel side walls with ribs in said walls extending substantially parallel to the upper edges of said side walls, of a closure for the container having a portion thereof supported .on said cover adapted to engage the parallel side walls of the container, beads on said iianges adapted to engage the Vwalls of said grooves to position the cover on the container and guide the same in sliding engagement with said container, and friction means for resisting sliding movement of the cover from central closed position.

4^. In combination with a container having two substantially parallel side walls with grooves therein disposed parallel to the rounded edges of the open end of the container, a slidable cover having a portion engaging said grooves to position and guidesaid ooverand having a down; wardly extending lip adapted to overhang the rounded edge of the container for yieldingly holding the cover in closed position.

5. Afslidable cover for a container comprising a molded head portion having a peripheral bead on the upper face thereof, a depending peripheral ange carrying beadson the lower edge thereof, and a downwardly projecting lip on the lower face of the head vportion adjacent one end thereof.

6. In combination with a container having inwardly extending ribsconstituting a support 'for a frangible iianged closure, a molded cover for said container adapted to slide on the edge of said side walls of the container and having a portion engaging rsaid ribs to position and guide said cover relative to the container.

'L'In combination withl an oblong container having grooves in the side walls thereof extending parallel to the upper edges ofthe container, a flanged. laterally slidable-cover for the container,` theiiange of the cover being interrupted and having portions extending into said grooves and the dimensions of said cover and container being suchrthat the head. of ,the cover and said extending portions pf theilange exert 4a. gripping action on the container.

Gnomz: AnunGToN Moons. 

